Egypt Captures Militant During Sinai Operation, Ahram Reports

By Tarek El-Tablawy -
Sep 2, 2012

Egyptian security forces captured a
suspected militant leader in Sinai, as officials press ahead
with a military operation that triggered worries by Israel about
Cairo’s compliance with the peace deal between the two nations,
Al-Ahram reported.

Authorities said the suspected militant arrested had
already been sentenced to death in absentia for an attack on a
police station in north Sinai, the state-run Al-Ahram reported
today, citing an unidentified security official.

The newspaper didn’t say if the suspect was linked to an
Aug. 5 attack by gunmen that killed 16 Egyptian border guards -
an incident that triggered the largest military operation in the
peninsula in over 30 years. Egypt moved in thousands of troops.
The deployment of tanks in the area sparked concerns by Israel
as the peace deal between the two limits the number of troops
and heavy weapons that Cairo can deploy near the border.

Yasser Ali, the spokesman for President Mohamed Mursi, said
that Egypt was within its rights to secure Sinai, “irrespective
of the position” of others, Al-Ahram reported. Egypt has
insisted it is abiding by the Camp David accords, though the
deployments are necessary to restore order.